"COP" NOW "CAP" CAPPING ASSIMILATION PROGRAMME WITH FEBRUARY 27, 2025 NEW DATE
AYOBO/IPAJA CHAIRMAN, PHIDEL COLLEGE CHAIRMAN, ALHAJI... ET AL: THANKS TO YOU ALL.
FROM THE EDITOR'S DESK
The umpteenth time, Civics Weekly has continued to receive encomium and commendations for giving optimum attention to security for the botched 2024 Event of Capping Orientation Programme (COP), hosting 1,000 head boys and head girls of senior secondary schools from across Lagos State in Alimosho. The latest of such deserved praises was from SilvaKampala Garment & Africa Fabrics, a leading name in African prints fabrics and uniform productions in Lagos. It came at its end of year celebration on the eve of Christmas when the CEO, remarked that “it could have taken only a disciplined mind to cancel such event at that close hours over unseen and unsubstantiated threat”, to quote her.
In line with this remark for fact; to the outside world, the threat Civics Weekly identified as “potential danger of stampede” for the decision would look non-existing, following the peaceful atmosphere that pervades the town afterwards without any inkling of chaos. This was only an outcome of a latter decision of the aggrieved party to take a recourse to court. But at the time of taking the decision, the danger was markedly present with what the magazine had gathered for media story as “Ambush of the Court by State Government” over an existing Obaship tussle in the town. It also compared favourably in note of assay with the intelligence report of “bottled anger in the town” from the right quarters of security agent. On the premise that “it takes discipline mind” to cancel the event at that stage, it should be a fact grounded in the evidence of a latter Abuja and Anambra tragedies of stampede, which failed to learn from the immediate precedence in the earlier Ibadan stampede. All this will become clearer in due course of this passage.
The event organised by Civics Weekly and scheduled to hold on Thursday, December 12, 2004 as “COP’24” edition of a yearly programme had to be cancelled less than 12hours to commencement over a feelers of security threats that could pose a cause for “Stampede” – to put it in exert lexicon of the event’s Security Committee headed by Mr Omoyosi Hakeeb of the Magazine’s Law and Crime Desk. From a supposed outcome of the Committee’s impromptu invitation by the relevant security agent, the organizers had been “instrusively and strongly advised” to postpone the event by a week on the cause of an intelligent report of a looming security threat over an Obaship tussle that had just reared its ugly head at the heartland of the event’s host community, Isheri Olofin. It mattered that the connecting reason adduced to the advice was a feasibility of “stampede” that could occur should the looming chaos suddenly breakout while the event was ongoing. While the engaging security agent said the advice was at the organizers’ discretion to heed, describing it as “instructive” remained the operative word, as the final recommendation of the Security Committee so suggested. Hence the cancellation.
While it was a painful decision to take, having committed a lot investing in the preparations, it would soon be revealed that it was a divine intervention with a gale of stampede tragedies that occurred soon after. As a matter of fact, the divine touch would seem to manifest more in sign with a late arrival of the live cow meant to be butchered for the event meals. It was scheduled to be slaughtered at the early morning of Wednesday, eve of the event day, but it came about the evening. If the cow had been slaughtered as scheduled, it would have been the greatest loss to incur – not only in monetary cost but inclusive of the trouble to dispose of the freshly bloody carcass and feral. The 1,500 copies of the ‘Event Programme Book’ – an A4 size in fold, full colour process – had been fully paid for, awaiting only the delivery that Wednesday night. The programme book is indeed part of the crowd control measures that were put in place:
The participants were not expected to line outside the event hall and take turn to formally register for the event upon arrival. The participants had been pre-published in the programme book even with the photograph identity of their respective Education District’s Desk Officer as Head of the Delegate (see photo sample above). Accordingly, the whole delegates from the district walk straight into the hall to take their seats.
A couple of days later, Civics Weekly would begin to count her blessings from the proactive cancellation, as the gale of fatal tragedies from stampede hit the air waves in torrent of occurrence. It began with the Ibadan Stampede, which came just six days after the COP event was painfully cancelled for the exact reason. Thirty five lives were reportedly lost. The painful decision taken by this magazine literally turned a cause for Thanks Giving celebrations when God would yet reveal the magnitude of His favour in making our emotions succumb to the will of expediency.
Three days after the Ibadan stampede, precisely the following Saturday; December 21, another two separate incidents of stampedes yet occurred at Abuja and Anambra as if a mystic force Was at play to balance its spread across the North, West, East default regionalism of Nigerian State. A combined total of thirty seven lives were reportedly counted for these latter cases, making a total of 72 fatalities in all. Common sense would want to fault the failure of organizers of the latter cases to take a proactive action from the earlier Ibadan incident – a clear two days of grace for them to return to the drawing board for reappraisal of their crowd-control planning to forestall the avoidable repeat. This speaks to the “disciplined mind” inferred by the CEO of SilvaKampala.
While not absorbing organizers of the Abuja and Anambra cases of aforesaid failure, it matters yet a logic in the wisdom of Yoruba adage on the inevitability of a man’s fate with destiny: ofo eyan oni se elomiran – literally a man’s fate of tragedy will never be visited on another man. Thus acknowledgement of Civics Weekly that it was a divine act that she would not cause to lead in the gale of stampede tragedies from the Isheri Olofin corridor of Lagos State. It’s a great thanks to the God’s emissary in the security agent. Another great thanks goes to the COP’24 Event’s Security Committee for heeding the biblical wisdom in the axiomatic clause: Igboran san ju eboruru – obedience is better than sacrifice. In loud shindig, never the less, it speaks to the verity of premium security consciousness we attached to the planning, albeit ostensibly on guidance of the Almighty God and our strict adherence to due process in approach to doing things and paying attention to details, especially for the COP event so far.
Although there was no any chaos or anarchy to trail the Isheri Olofin Obaship tussle after all, the peace of mind for the organizers today yet resides in the wise counselling of the words of security agent that “1% percent chance that anarchy might let loose from the ‘emergency coronation of Oba’ overrides 99% probability that it would not lead to a breakdown of law and order”. A through perusal of the Invite card could reveal how a part of the event organizers was directly and unambiguously connected to the kingship dispute and that could as well be a direct incendiary to link the event with it for a potential but disastrous collateral damage.
Worst of all is where the feasibility of “potential stampede” lies in our case: First, the venue of event is directly opposite the residential quarters of a party to the Obaship dispute. Any gathering of a crowd -- expectedly “hoodlums” in this regard -- there could spark fears in the participants and guests and consequently inform their cause to scamper for safety. We know what that means In context of this discourse! Second, Government officials had been advertised to be part of our expected guests. The possibility thus existed that the aggrieved party could mobilise a mammoth crowd for a protest to the government, using the event under way to convene their message. The sight of the crowd would never have augured well With participants and guests. We know what that could also mean.
Gratefulness all the same that Isheri Olofin Kingdom rather continues to enjoy peace and harmony because wisdom prevailed that the aggrieved party decided to make a recourse to the rule of law with litigation of their disaffections in court. A tentative new date of Thursday, February 27th 2025, had been fixed and the event’s brand is now “Capping Assimilation Programme (CAP). This was already a set plan for the expected subsequent editions effective from 2025 anyway. The move aims to distinguish it identity tag from the trademark of Uniited Nation’s body of Highest Decision-making of Climate Change Convention (UNFCCC) called Conference of Parties (“COP”). Accordingly, it is now A WELCOME TO CAP’25 AT THE CROSSOVER
SPECIAL APPRECIATIONS
Special appreciations should go to all the stakeholders who had given their unreserved and unwavering supports that set the event date on course until God’s revealed his mercies to compensate the righteous minds of the Project initiators. Great thanks Hon (Mrs.) Bolatito Shobowale, Executive chairman of Ayobo/Ipaja LCDA. Her Sole support from the political Of Alimosho Federal Constituency Which manifested in great financial contributions towards hosting a successful Event was wonderful. if the true strength of unity should be defined, you stand tall as a symbol in surrogate mother for an elusive mother. Thanks so much and we pray that God will be there to see you dance and dance in praises of His grace on the new date.
The Egbe-Idimu Council of Elders and Leaders of the Justice Forum, you set the pace in a unique way. To the glory of God, you have been there for everyone in rain and sunshine. It is note worthy the triumvirate apex of the body -- Otunba-Fetuga-Oke -- is the best asset Alimosho could ever boast of when morals become the defining factor of politics. We are not there yet, but your faith in the project worth the recognition at This intermediate phase of narrow skip of the execution.
Pastor Theophillus Adelusi, Chairman of Phidel Group of Schools has been wonderful in keeping faith With Civics Weekly with the resolve that the participants must Access the inherent value of the project. It is what education means to a passionate educationist.
Alhaji...! The cow is truly big! You plead anonymity and we understand that to be the true heart of charity. You promised it as your gift of delight to the innocent minds To gather for a lesson on future leadership and so you gave it. There could be no doubt that Allah truly appreciates your generosity as He spoke it in His oxymoron of silent noise that prevented the cow from going to waste. Thank you so much.
To our resource people: Dr. Femi Oloyede, ICPC Chairman, Lagos Resident Electoral Commissioner of INEC, we appreciate your patience and plead that you sustain it until the project is fully discharged on the new date.
To all the Education District, we want to sincerely thank you for your cooperation. You hold the ace and you were willing to play it to our favour. Your pieces of advice here and there would now be valuable to shape the event more in scope of child-centered outcome for the participants. We assure you of highly rewarding post event outcome for the Desk Officers as much as we so planned it for you participating students. Thanks to you all from the TG/PS to the last officer.
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